Water jet loom

ABSTRACT

A suction tube to be used for the instant storage of yarn in a fluid jet loom and particularly between a yarn supply and a fluid feeding jet such as a water jet. For instance, it has been found that with this suction, fabric defects caused by gas turbulence in the suction tube may be eliminated and that the loom stops during loom operation and/or short picks may be substantially reduced. The suction tube comprises a portion to be adapted to a suction generating means, yarn inlet and yarn outlet. A gas passage between the yarn inlet and the yarn outlet cooperates with the suction generating means to provide sufficient gas movement so that a yarn located between said inlet and outlet be held suspended within the tube. Between the yarn inlet and the yarn outlet, guiding means are provided inside the suction tube to prevent entanglement, snarl or loop formation on a yarn while it is suspended.

United States Patent [191 Lachapelle et a1.

[ 1 May 8, 1973 [54] WATER JET LOOM [76] Inventors: J. P. Benoit Lachapelle, 26 Des Tilleuls; Joseph Majorique LaBranche, 562A Brock, both of Drummondville, Quebec, Canada 221 Filed: Apr. 19,1971

21 Appl.No.: 135,261

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,137,322 6/1964 Strake 139/127 P FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 477,581 10/1969 Switzerland ..139/127 P 461,401 10/1968 Switzerland ..139/127 P L, Av

Primary Examiner-Henry S. Jaudon Att0rneyThomas J. Morgan and Stephen Murphy [57] ABSTRACT A suction tube to be used for the instant storage of yarn in a fluid jet loom and particularly between a yarn supply and a fluid feeding jet such as a water jet. For instance, it has been found that with this suction, fabric defects caused by gas turbulence in the suction tube may be eliminated and that the loom stops during loom operation and/or short picks may be substantially reduced. The suction tube comprises a portion to be adapted to a suction generating means, yarn inlet and yarn outlet. A gas passage between the yarn inlet and the yarn outlet cooperates with the suction generating means to provide sufficient gas movement so that a yarn located between said inlet and outlet be held suspended within the tube. Between the yarn inlet and the yarn outlet, guiding means are provided inside the suction tube to prevent entanglement, snarl or loop formation on a yarn while it is suspended.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures WATER JET LOOM This invention relates to an improved suction tube to be used for the instant storage of yarn in a fluid jet loom and particularly between a yarn supply and a fluid feeding jet such as a water jet.

Fluid jet looms are well known and widely used. A good description of water jet loom may be found, for instance, in an article entitled The Prince Water Jet Loom by ES. Rudnick on pages 62-69 of Book of Papers for the llth Canadian Textile Seminar from the Textile Technical Federation of Canada, Montreal. Suction tubes are used for accumulating or storing yarn, generally filling yarn, while a loom is in motion, during a beating up and shedding operation, in order to have sufficient yarn readily available when filling insertion begins at a given degree on the following cycle.

Broadly stated there has now been found a gas suction tube comprising a portion to be adapted to a suction generating means, yarn inlet and outlet, gas passages between said inlet and outlet cooperating with the suction generating means to provide sufficient gas movement inside the tube so that a yarn located between said inlet and outlet be held within said tube, and means between said inlet and outlet for guiding and keeping a suspended yarn away from said gas passages and to prevent yarn entanglement snarl or loop formation.

The guided means may for instance be at least one guiding pin and/or wall and/or'other frictionless surface able to perform similar guiding functions.

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the relative position ofa gas suction tube in a water loom.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the gas suction tube shown in 1.

FIG. 3 is a partially broken cross-sectional view of the inner yarn inlet and outlet portion of the gas suction tube taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 and 5 are views similar to FIG. 3 and taken similarly along a line 3-3 as shown in FIG. 2, representing other ways of carrying out the invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, 4 and 5 but representing a suction tube as known from the prior art.

Referring now to FIG. 1, number 10 designates an air suction tube for holding a filling yarn 12 of a length which has been measured on measuring drum 14 and pulled from supply package 16 and through a tension adjusting drum 18. The yarn 12 held in the tube 10 is released upon actuation of a gripper 20 and of a camactuated feed nozzle 22 which delivers a current of fluid to carry through the warp 24 the filling yarn 12. About 55-200 deniers yarn are generally used and preferably 100-200. If desired higher or lower denier yarn may be used, although generally of not too great commercial interest. Twist level of the yarn is generally from to turns per inch. Yarns processed by rotoset entangled filaments and compacted yarns are also embraced. Twist level higher than 5 turns per inch are of lesser interest since the ability of the gas stream to withold a yarn suspended decreases as the twist level increases.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the suction tube comprises at the yarn entrance, often referred to as the mouth piece 10b, a yarn inlet 32 and outlet 34 and a plurality of gas passages 36 to provide sufficient gas movement inside the tube 10 to hold the yarn 12 shown in dotted line inside tube 10. The gas may conveniently be pulled inside or directed inwardly by means of vacuum pump (not shown) or the like connected at 37. As shown in FIG. 3, the yarn 10 may be guided by a pin 38 or a plurality of pins as shown by dotted lines at 40. The pins have a substantially frictionless surface such as a polished surface or a matte finish surface as shown on FIG. 4, in another embodiment, the yarn may be guided by a wall 42, or walls 42 and 44.

Still in another embodiment as represented on FIG. 5, the wall may be an extension ofinlet 32.

The advantage of these guiding means is to prevent yarn entanglement, snarl or loop.

FIG. 6 illustrates the problems that are encountered when a yarn is in storage in the absence of guiding means. Note the entanglement at 120.

EXAMPLES The following examples will now serve to illustrate the embodiments of the invention.

EXAMPLEI A water jet loom Prince ModelLW 42 sold by Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. in Japan was used except that the following suction tube 10 was used.

The suction tube was made of light gauge metal approximately l/32 inch thick, flat at the yarn entrance and/or mouth piece 10b and rounded at the opposite end to be connected to a tube leading to a suction fan. The yarn entrance end 10b was approximately 2 inches X 74 inch. The inlet 32 was about 74; inch diameter tube like element extending out of the yarn entrance end 10b. There were also three small holes or gas passages 36 approximately 4; inch diameter used to provide sufficient air movement inside the tube. The air pumped out of the tube was generating a vacuum gauge pressure of about 20-30 inches of water and thereby creating the air movement to hold the yarn in suspension during the accumulation steps. Another hole of approximately 16 inch diameter was used to permit the yarn to be taken out of the suction tube during filling yarn insertions. The suction tube was also provided with a frictionless pin of about l/16 inch to '76 inch diameter inch long which could conveniently be located from about one-quarter inch to 1 inch more or less from the holes 36 to keep the yarn away from the high air velocity area, and thereby prevent filament and yarn disturbance depending upon the distance from the holes 36 and the length of the yarn 12.

The same was repeated with several pins and then with a standard suction tube having no pin. The fabric made with and without pins in the suction tube were compared. It was found that fabric defects caused by air turbulence in the air suction tube 10 were eliminated and that the loom stops during loom operation and/or short picks were reduced from approximately 4 to 1.

EXAMPLE 2 The same was repeated as in Example 1, except that instead of using pins, a separate wall, as shown on FIG.

4 was placed inside the tube at a distance range from one-quarter inch to 1 inch from the holes 36. Results similar to those found in Example 1 were obtained.

EXAMPLE 3 The same was repeated as in Example l,except that instead of using pins, the inlet tube 32 was inwardly extended by sliding to obtain a distance a varying from about one-quarter inch to 1 inch as shown on FIG. 5. Here again, results similar to those of Example 1 were obtained.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An improved yarn accumulator for the momentary storage of yarn fed thereto at an approximately constant velocity and removed therefrom in a substantially pulsating manner, said accumulator comprising a housing having a yarn inlet and a yarn outlet, and at least one air inlet orifice and at least one air outlet orifice, and means for sucking said fed yarn into said accumulator, wherein the improvement comprises:

stationary guide means connected to the inside of said housing, said guide means being located essentially between said yarn inlet and said yarn outlet and downstream from each said air inlet by an amount at least equal to twice the internal diameter of each said air inlet.

2. The yarn accumulator of claim 1 wherein said sucking means comprises vacuum means capable of reducing the pressure within said accumulator to below atmospheric pressure.

3. The yarn accumulator of claim 1 wherein aid guide means is an extension of said yarn inlet.

4. The yarn accumulator of claim 1 wherein said guide means offers'a substantially frictionless surface to said yarn.

5. The yarn accumulator of claim 1 wherein said guiding means is at least one guiding pin.

' 6. The yarn accumulator ofclaim 1 wherein said yarn inlet orifice, said yarn outlet orifice and each said air inlet orifice are located on a common side of said accumulator.

7. The yarn accumulator of claim 1 wherein said air inlet orifices have a diameter of approximately oneeighth inch and said guide means is located from onequarter inch to 1 inch downstream from each said air inlet orifice.

8. A method for preventing yarn entanglement, snarl or loop formation in the yarn accumulator of a fluid jet weaving loom, in which said yarn is sucked into said yarn accumulator at an approximately constant velocity by air entering said accumulator through at least one air inlet through a yarn inlet orifice and is removed therefrom in a substantially pulsating manner from a yarn outlet orifice, meanwhile maintaining said yarn in suspension within said accumulator by displacing a current of air through said accumulator, which comprises:

simultaneously passing said yarn over a stationary guide within said accumulator to prevent said yarn from being closer to each said air orifice by an amount which is equal to at least twice the diameter of each said air inlet orifice. 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said yarn has a denier of from 55 to 200 and a twist level of from 0 to 5 turns per inch, and said accumulator is operated at a subatmospheric pressure by an amount from 20 to 30 inches of water. 

1. An improved yarn accumulator for the momentary storage of yarn fed thereto at an approximately constant velocity and removed therefrom in a substantially pulsating manner, said accumulator comprising a housing having a yarn inlet and a yarn outlet, and at least one air inlet orifice and at least one air outlet orifice, and means for sucking said fed yarn into said accumulator, wherein the improvement comprises: stationary guide means connected to the inside of said housing, said guide means being located essentially between said yarn inlet and said yarn outlet and downstream from each said air inlet by an amount at least equal to twice the internal diameter of each said air inlet.
 2. The yarn accumulator of claim 1 wherein said sucking means comprises vacuum means capable of reducing the pressure within said accumulator to below atmospheric pressure.
 3. The yarn accumulator of claim 1 wherein aid guide means is an extension of said yarn inlet.
 4. The yarn accumulator of claim 1 wherein said guide means offers a substantially frictionless surface to said yarn.
 5. The yarn accumulator of claim 1 wherein said guiding means is at least one guiding pin.
 6. The yarn accumulator of claim 1 wherein said yarn inlet orifice, said yarn outlet orifice and each said air inlet orifice are located on a common side of said accumulator.
 7. The yarn accumulator of claim 1 wherein said air inlet orifices have a diameter of approximately one-eighth inch and said guide means is located from one-quarter inch to 1 inch downstream from each said air inlet orifice.
 8. A method for preventing yarn entanglement, snarl or loop formation in the yarn accumulator of a fluid jet weaving loom, in which said yarn is sucked into said yarn accumulator at an approximately constant velocity by air entering said accumulator through at least one air inlet through a yarn inlet orifice and is removed therefrom in a substantially pulsating manner from a yarn outlet orifice, meanwhile maintaining said yarn in suspension within said accumulator by displacing a current of air through said accumulator, which comprises: simultaneously passing said yarn over a stationary guide within said accumulator to prevent said yarn from being closer to each said air orifice by an amount which is equal to at least twice the diameter of each said air inlet orifice.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said yarn has a denier of from 55 to 200 and a twist level of from 0 to 5 turns per inch, and said accumulator is operated at a subatmospheric pressure by an amount from 20 to 30 inches of water. 